The Real Way to Say Goodbye in English (80+ Ways English Speakers Actually Use)

Here's a question almost every English learner asks at some point: Why does saying goodbye in English feel so awkward?

You've learned "goodbye" from your textbook. Maybe you've even memorized formal phrases like "farewell" or "I look forward to our next meeting." But then you watch a TV show or talk to an actual English speaker, and nobody says any of that stuff. They just say "bye" or "see ya" or something equally casual that you weren't taught.

So what's going on? Let's cut through the formal lesson BS and talk about the many ways to say goodbye that English speakers actually use.

The Problem with "Goodbye"

Look, I'm going to be straight with you: native English speakers almost never say "goodbye." It sounds very formal and final, like you're never going to see the person again. It's the kind of thing you'd say if your friend was moving to another country permanently.

Most of the time, English speakers just say "bye." That's it. Short, simple, works in basically any situation. You can say it to your best friend, your coworker, your boss, or a stranger you just met. It's the standard goodbye that's appropriate for friends and family, as well as co-workers and business partners.

This makes English actually easier than a lot of other languages when it comes to farewells. In Japanese, for example, you've got different goodbye expressions depending on formality level, who's leaving, and your relationship with the person. English? Just one common way to say "bye" and you're good 90% of the time.

Ways of Saying Goodbye: Casual Situations

The Most Common Way to Say Goodbye Among Friends

"See you later" / "See ya" — This is probably the most common way English speakers say goodbye. You're basically telling someone you're going to see the person again soon, even if you don't actually know when. It's just a nicer way to end a conversation than abruptly saying "bye."

"Take care" — A casual way to say goodbye that shows you actually care about the person. Works great for friends, family, or even casual acquaintances. You might also say this to someone you know very well when you're genuinely concerned about them.

"Catch you later" — A very casual way of letting people know you're leaving. This slang expression is mostly used by younger people or in super informal situations.

"Talk to you later" / "Talk soon" — Perfect for saying goodbye on the phone or ending text conversations. These are common among people who communicate regularly.

"Have a good one" — This informal way of saying "have a good day" or "have a nice day" is everywhere. Some people find this phrase lazy or annoying, but honestly, it's one of the most common expressions to say goodbye you'll hear.

"I've got to go" / "I've gotta go" — A casual way of letting people know you're ready to leave. You can soften this with "anyway" or "alright" before it. For example, "Anyway, I've got to go" or "Alright, I've gotta go."

How to Say Goodbye in Formal Settings

Professional Ways to Say Goodbye in English

When you need to say goodbye in formal situations, you'll want different expressions than the casual ways of saying goodbye you'd use with friends.

"Have a nice day" — Standard, polite, appropriate for basically any professional context. You'll hear this constantly in customer service situations. It's a formal and polite way to end an interaction.

"It was nice meeting you" — Use this when you've just met someone for the first time in a business context. Shows you're professional and polite. This is how you say goodbye to someone in formal settings when you're parting ways after an initial meeting.

"I look forward to our next meeting" — Only use this if you're actually planning to see the other person again for business. Don't throw it around casually. This is a very formal expression appropriate for business partners.

"Good evening" / "Good night" — These can be used late in the evening when saying goodbye. "Good night" specifically means you or the other person is going to bed, so don't use it earlier in the day.

Funny Ways to Say Goodbye (And Slang)

Slang Ways of Saying "See You Later"

English has some pretty weird slang words and phrases for saying goodbye. Here are some you might hear:

"Bye-bye" — This is for kids. Or for adults who are trying to be flirtatious or cute with close friends. Don't say this to a colleague or business partner. Occasionally, adults will say "bye-bye" to each other, but only if they know each other quite well.

"Peace out" / "Peace" — These sound dated now, like something from the 90s. Young people might use them ironically, but they're not really serious farewells anymore. Still, they're funny ways to say goodbye if you want to be playful.

"Later" / "Later, dude" — Super casual slang. Just one word — "later" — is an easy to say casual farewell among friends.

"See you later, alligator" — An old playful phrase from the 1950s. The response is "In a while, crocodile." Mostly used with kids now, but some people still say it for fun. This is one of those funny ways to say goodbye that sounds ridiculous but people love it.

"I'm out" / "I'm outta here" — Slang expression meaning you're leaving right now. Very casual way of saying goodbye.

Different Ways to Say Goodbye Depending on the Situation

The 80 Ways to Say Goodbye: Context Is Everything

Here's what textbooks get wrong about the way of saying goodbye: they try to give you strict rules about formal vs. informal, when the reality is way more fluid. There are literally 80 ways to say goodbye in English when you count all the variations, slang, and context-specific phrases.

The key isn't memorizing which phrase goes with which situation. It's understanding when to use different ways to say goodbye:

With people you don't know very well: Stick with the common way to say "bye" plus something polite like "have a nice day." Safe, friendly, appropriate.

With friends and family: Say whatever feels natural. These casual ways of saying goodbye — "see ya," "later," "take care" — all work perfectly fine.

When you're saying goodbye on the phone: Usually ends with "talk to you later" or "bye" plus the other person's name. Keep it quick. Remember, you wouldn't say "it was nice seeing you" because you can't actually see the person.

When you're leaving a social gathering: You often say something to signal you're ready to leave before the actual goodbye. "I should get going" or "I've got to get going" lets people know you're about to say goodbye without being abrupt.

In emails and farewell messages: "Best," "Regards," "Cheers" (if you're British or want to sound British). Don't overthink it. These are different expressions to say goodbye than you'd use in person.

The mistake most learners make is trying to sound too formal because they're nervous. English speakers are generally pretty casual, especially Americans. You'll sound more natural if you err on the side of a casual way rather than overly formal.

Many Ways to Say "Goodbye" in Different Languages

Quick history lesson: saying "goodbye" in English comes from "God be with ye," an old religious farewell from the 1500s. Over time, it got shortened to "godbwye" and eventually "goodbye," with the "good" part influenced by phrases like "good day" and "good night."

So when you say goodbye to someone with this word, you're technically invoking God's protection, even though nobody thinks about that anymore. Same deal with Spanish "adiós" (to God) and French "adieu." Basically every culture's farewells in different languages used to be religious blessings.

Why does this matter? It's a good reminder that language changes constantly. The ways to say "goodbye" people used 50 years ago ("so long," "farewell") sound outdated now. Language keeps evolving, which is why learning from actual conversations matters more than memorizing textbook phrases.

Common Mistakes When You Say Goodbye in English

Using "goodbye" all the time — Again, it sounds way too formal. Just use the standard "bye" that English speakers actually say.

Being too formal in informal situations — If your friend says "see ya," don't respond with a formal way like "farewell, I hope we meet again soon." Match their energy. Use the casual way to say goodbye that fits the situation.

Forgetting phone-specific farewells — When saying goodbye on the phone, you wouldn't say "it was nice seeing you" because... you can't see them. Use "nice talking to you" instead.

Not knowing when it's appropriate to leave — In English-speaking cultures, you often need to signal you're ready to say goodbye before actually leaving. Say something like "I should probably head out" before you say your final farewell.

Overthinking it — Most English speakers just say "bye" and move on with their lives. You don't need to craft the perfect farewell every time. Just pick one common way to say it and go.

How to Learn English Through Real Conversations

Look, you can read blog posts about the different ways to say goodbye all day, but the real learning happens when you hear these phrases in context. Watch English shows, listen to podcasts, pay attention to how characters say goodbye in different situations. Notice the patterns.

When Ross says goodbye to Rachel on Friends, it's different from how he'd say goodbye to his professor. When Jim leaves a meeting on The Office, he doesn't announce it formally — he just says "see ya" and walks out. That's the way English speakers actually do it in informal situations.

The problem with traditional methods to learn English is they give you lists of phrases without showing you how real people use them. English is hard partly because the informal spoken language is so different from the formal textbook version. You need to see the many ways to say goodbye used naturally, not just memorized from a list of 80 phrases.

This is where learning from real content makes a huge difference. When you're watching shows or YouTube videos in English, you're seeing actual social interactions. You pick up on the subtle differences — when someone uses a casual way like "take care" versus saying "see you later," the tone they use, the situations where different farewells fit naturally.

Migaku's browser extension lets you watch English content with interactive subtitles, so you can click on any phrase you don't understand and add it to your spaced repetition deck. See someone use a way to say goodbye you haven't heard before? Click it, save it, review it later. You're learning the way of saying goodbye from how people actually talk, not from sanitized textbook dialogues.

The mobile app works the same way. You can be watching Breaking Bad on your phone, notice Walter White using a particular farewell in a tense situation, and boom — you've got that phrase saved with context. Later, when you're reviewing your cards, you'll remember the scene, the emotion, the situation. That's how these expressions we can use actually stick in your memory.

And here's the thing: once you've learned a bunch of these ways to say "goodbye" from real content, you'll start noticing the patterns. You'll develop an instinct for when saying "take care" sounds right versus when "see ya" fits better. That's way more valuable than memorizing formality rules from a textbook or studying 50 ways to say goodbye from a list.

Migaku syncs everything across your devices, so whether you're watching on your laptop or reviewing on your phone during your commute, you're building that same vocabulary bank. It's all spaced repetition, so you're reviewing these phrases right when you're about to forget them, which is the way to end a conversation with your study materials that actually moves them into long-term memory.

There's a 10-day free trial if you want to see how learning from real content compares to traditional methods. Most people find it's way less boring than textbook study, and you actually remember what you learn because it's connected to real situations and emotions. Plus, you'll hear all the informal ways, slang, and casual expressions that textbooks never teach you — the stuff English speakers actually need to say every day.